Wind Song's First Success, Sword Tower Trial Begins

The morning light of the Scripture Depository slanted across the pages. Ling Yun's fingertips traced the diagram of "Wind Song" in the Flowing Cloud Seven Swords - Volume Two, his brow furrowed. The diagram was annotated: "Guide the wind spirit into the sword, use intent to drive the momentum, the sword emerges like flowing wind." Beside it was a diagram of the meridian circulation route for guiding wind momentum—this route required the special meridians of a Wind Spirit Physique; ordinary sword cultivators couldn't replicate it, let alone him, who had no spirit root.

"Don't just stare at the diagram," Elder Sword's voice echoed in his mind, with a hint of guidance. "The Flowing Cloud Seven Swords were created by ancient sword cultivators observing nature. The essence of 'Wind Song' is 'following,' not forcing it with meridians. Instead, let your Sword Intent follow the natural wind momentum. Try dispersing your Chaos Sword Intent into the surrounding wind. Don't try to control it, just 'follow'."

Ling Yun closed the ancient book and stood up, walking to the open space outside the Scripture Depository. He gripped the Sky-Rending Sword, closed his eyes, and slowly dispersed the wisp of Chaos Sword Qi within him. Unlike his usual deliberate control, this time he let the sword qi drift with the gentle breeze, like a wisp of smoke merging into the wind. After a moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, flicked his wrist, and the Sky-Rending Sword drew an arc along the ground.

"Buzz—"

Though the coarse cloth sword sheath remained on, it stirred the surrounding wind momentum to converge, forming a pale green wind blade that shot out along the trajectory of the sword move, striking the trunk of a spruce tree not far away and leaving a smooth, shallow mark. As the wind blade dissipated, it carried a crisp sword cry, the very characteristic of the "Wind Song" sword move!

"It worked!" Ling Yun felt a surge of joy. This was the first time he had truly executed a move from the Flowing Cloud Seven Swords without relying on a spirit root, purely through the fusion of Chaos Sword Intent and natural wind momentum.

"Hmph, it's only similar in appearance."

Murong Shuang's voice sounded again. She had appeared on the stone steps not far away at some point, her Green Peak Sword in hand, a complex look in her eyes. The moment Ling Yun guided the wind, she had clearly felt the purity of that wind momentum—without any of the stiffness of forced activation by a spirit root, it flowed completely with the natural wind direction, appearing more agile than the wind momentum she guided with her Wind Spirit Physique.

She took a step forward, her Green Peak Sword unsheathed, and a sharp wind blade cut through the air, striking directly at the tree trunk beside Ling Yun. This wind blade was more solid than Ling Yun's, carrying a whistling sound, and it cut half an inch deep into the tree trunk. However, when she retracted the sword, a few wood chips flew off—clearly, her Sword Intent control was slightly lacking.

"Although my 'Wind Song' is fierce, it lacks your smoothness," Murong Shuang retracted her sword, her tone no longer as arrogant, but rather more candid. "But your sword move lacks spirit root support, consuming spiritual energy extremely quickly. If you were to use it continuously in actual combat, you wouldn't last three moves before exhausting yourself."

Ling Yun did not deny it. When he performed "Wind Song" just now, he could clearly feel the consumption of Chaos Sword Qi within him. If it weren't for the Chaos Sword Body slowly absorbing ambient spiritual energy to replenish it, he would have likely lost all strength after just one move. He took out the Qi Gathering Pill from his embrace, crushed it between his fingertips, and the pure white spiritual energy instantly surged into his body, circulating through his meridians and perfectly replenishing the consumed sword qi.

"Qi Gathering Pills can only solve immediate problems," Murong Shuang said lightly, looking at the pill in his hand. "The Sword Tower Trial begins in three days. Inner sect disciples must clear seven floors to receive rewards; the top performer among outer sect disciples can participate directly. I heard there's a 'Sword Intent Stele' on the seventh floor that can help one comprehend basic Sword Intent—if you want to establish yourself in the trial, you need to solve the issue of spiritual energy sustainment first."

Ling Yun's heart stirred. The Sword Tower Trial! This was the critical juncture for his breakthrough as outlined in the plan. He looked up at Murong Shuang and noticed that although her tone was calm, a hint of anticipation was hidden in her eyes—clearly, this genius disciple also saw him as a rival in the trial.

"Thank you for the reminder." Ling Yun sheathed the Sky-Rending Sword and turned to return to the training grounds to consolidate "Wind Song," but was interrupted by the sound of a bell.

"Dong—Dong—Dong—"

Three heavy bell tolls rang out from the inner sect's main peak, echoing throughout the entire Flowing Cloud Sword Sect. Immediately after, the voice of an inner sect steward, amplified by Sword Intent, spread to all the courtyards: "The Sword Tower Trial begins in three days! All inner sect disciples must participate; only the top performer from last month among outer sect disciples may enter! The trial has seven floors, with a Sword Intent test on each floor. Those who clear seven floors can enter the second level of the Scripture Depository to borrow advanced sword manuals; those who clear five floors will be rewarded with a 'Sword Intent Condensing Pill'!"

As the news spread, the inner sect disciples erupted in excitement. The Sword Intent Condensing Pill could accelerate the condensation of Sword Intent, a crucial pill for Sword Apprentices to break through to the Swordsman realm; the advanced sword manuals on the second level of the Scripture Depository were resources that many inner sect disciples dreamed of.

"Ling Yun can participate too? With his spirit rootless appearance, he probably won't even clear the first floor!"

"Exactly. The 'Gale Trial' on the first floor of the Sword Tower requires performing 'Wind Song' ten times consecutively. He can't even sustain his spiritual energy, how can he pass?"

Discussions drifted from the nearby courtyard. Several inner sect disciples looked in Ling Yun's direction, their voices full of doubt. Murong Shuang frowned, about to retort, when she saw Ling Yun had already turned and walked towards the training grounds, as if he hadn't heard the mockery.

"He's quite composed," Murong Shuang curled her lips, a flicker of fighting spirit in her eyes. "However, if he can't even clear the first floor, he's not worthy of being my opponent."

On the training grounds, Ling Yun gripped the Sky-Rending Sword again. He ignored the surrounding discussion, focusing solely on adjusting the fusion of his Sword Intent and the wind momentum. This time, he no longer deliberately controlled the Chaos Sword Qi but let it absorb the ambient spiritual energy in the world like a sponge—the characteristics of the Chaos Sword Body manifested at this moment. The mixed spiritual energy that ordinary sword cultivators couldn't absorb was slowly transformed by him into pure sword qi, supporting the execution of "Wind Song."

"Swish—Swish—Swish—"

Pale green wind blades were drawn one after another from beside the sword sheath, each one more solid than the last. The sword cries shifted from a faint "buzzing" to a "whooshing" sound like wind passing through trees. After ten wind blades, Ling Yun was slightly unsteady, but he wasn't as exhausted as Murong Shuang had predicted—the ambient spiritual energy absorbed by the Chaos Sword Body had replenished more than half of the consumption.

"Not bad," Elder Sword's voice held praise. "You've touched the threshold of 'Wind Song.' In the next two days, just consolidate the synergy between your Sword Intent and the wind momentum, and the trial on the first floor of the Sword Tower won't be difficult for you. Remember, the Sword Intent Stele on the seventh floor is the key—it contains the basic Sword Intent of ancient sword cultivators. If you can comprehend it, you will truly step onto the threshold of the sword path."

Ling Yun gazed in the direction of the Sword Tower, shrouded in clouds and mist, and tightened his grip on the Sky-Rending Sword. He could feel the Chaos Sword Qi within him growing stronger with the practice of "Wind Song," the spiritual energy from the Qi Gathering Pill still lingered in his dantian, and the rewards of the Sword Tower Trial were within reach.

However, he also knew that the inner sect was full of hidden talents, especially Murong Shuang, who had already mastered "Wind Song" to perfection and might even know the second move of the Flowing Cloud Seven Swords, "Cloud Roll." Clearing seven floors and comprehending basic Sword Intent would be no easy feat.

As the sun began to set, Ling Yun could finally perform "Wind Song" twenty consecutive times with a steady breath. He sheathed his sword and turned towards the entrance of the training grounds—Murong Shuang was standing there, holding a green pill in her hand. Seeing him look over, she tossed the pill towards him.

"Qi Condensing Powder. It's more long-lasting than Qi Gathering Pills and can help you last longer in the trial," Murong Shuang's voice held a hint of awkwardness. "I don't want to face an opponent in the trial who collapses before reaching the seventh floor."

Ling Yun caught the pill, feeling a cool touch on his fingertips. He looked up at Murong Shuang's retreating back, her black ponytail swaying in the wind, the silver bell on her sword tassel jingling softly. He put the Qi Condensing Powder into his embrace, understanding that this proud, talented disciple had finally acknowledged him as a worthy opponent, despite his "spirit rootless" status.

As night deepened, Ling Yun sat cross-legged on the bluestone platform of the training grounds, his Chaos Sword Intent flowing slowly. Elder Sword's voice sounded again: "In the Sword Tower Trial, the tests on each floor are related to Sword Intent. You need to maintain a 'Clear Sword Heart' at all times to see through the essence of the tests. Remember, the advantage of the Chaos Sword Body is not just its compatibility with Sword Intent, but its ability to absorb all power from heaven and earth in desperate situations—even the Sword Intent attacks within the trial can be turned into your nourishment."

Ling Yun opened his eyes, a look of determination flashing within them. The Sword Tower Trial in three days was not only an opportunity to prove himself but also a crucial step on his path to revenge and the pursuit of the true meaning of the sword path. He would never back down.